Coming Back to Center

Finally over the shadow box marathon I've been stuck in for over a year now, I have had the time to get back to making art for me. This summer I've been practicing the basics of drawing and painting since I have been feeling out of touch with it all. Making art has become so forced that I have lost inspiration, creativity, and the freedom to express myself through my own art.

I went home to Monterey last week and was able to separate myself from technology and get back into simply sketching and doodling again. It was so freeing to start with random paint blobs and turn them into something fun. Some of my favorite sketches were of the trees and foliage I drew for use as references in other work. Although there was still a part of me I could tell I was still fighting.

On Friday, I went to the art openings of First Friday here in Las Vegas and was blown away by the caliber of work I saw. I needed to pull my head out, roll up my sleeves and get to work. I needed to focus and stop trying to be someone I'm not. Nothing like a good ol' fashioned reality check to make you come to your senses!

Saturday I researched black and white photos of women's faces to use as references for shading and perspective. Yesterday as I scrolled through the photos one jumped out at me and I immediately knew what she wanted to become. Inspired by both the photograph and the Lone Cypress of Monterey, I created the following piece. Although feeling a little flat, I think it came out much better than I had hoped.

Lone Cypress: watercolor 2014

Vintage Fountain Pens

This summer I was asked to help my friends go through their mother's craft room. She past away and had two rooms filled with years of art supplies. I was able to fill my small hatchback with all the goodies I helped sort through. Most of the supplies are going to be used in my classroom for future generations to learn from. There were a few choice things I kept for myself such as easels, palettes, and acrylic paints.

Among the those choice things, I found a cigar box filled and with an  assortment of calligraphy pen holders and nibs. Mixed in with these were the fountain pens and ink shown in the photo above. I love fountain pens and have bought myself very inexpensive ones from JetsPens.com over the last few years. I have fallen in love with the smooth lines they create and you can only imagine how excited and giddy I was to find such treasures hidden amongst the supplies. I went to work researching the pens to find that they are lever pull fountain pens from the 1930's. The last of the three lever pulls is a radiograph style fountain pen that has a small wire at the tip that releases the ink as you write. With love and care I spent hours cleaning them and turning my hands black and blue in the process. Needless to say, I was in heaven.

Other treasures I found were the vintage mechanical pencil, on the bottom of the photo, with a tiny cardboard tube of replacement lead. I immediately added these to my father's old drafting tools he passed onto me. At the top of the photo you can see replacement graphite and a red lead holder. I have always wanted one of these and was pleasantly surprised with how nice this one is weighted. It has become one of my favorite writing utensils to draw with and I carry it with me always.

After helping my friends sort through their mother's art supplies I decided I needed to clean and purge my studio too. This was one of the inspirations for the new and improved studio as discussed in the previous post regarding the new light and plants. My hope is when I die that my art and supplies will go to loving homes and to people that will cherish them. So back to work I go, creating as much art as I can, while I can.

Sorry for the Hiatus

Hello again!

Sorry I haven't post in a while. If you ever feel I have fallen off the planet, I post most frequently on my Tumblr and Instagram sites. As to what I have been doing with myself since my last post, well...

After school ended I busied myself with painting a mural in our school's front lobby. This cut into my precious summer vacation by two weeks. Once that was wrapped up, I dove head first into cleansing and purging my house. I couldn't figure out how one person could have filled every inch on storage in the place. I needed to be able to breath again and to have room to grow. I made many a trip to Goodwill and to the dumpster. In essence I took back control of my house and of my life. My solo show, being plagued, and playing catch up effected my being able to properly take take of myself. After all that, I went out of town to visit with my folks. It ended up being the best birthday I've had in years.

Second oil painting ...ever!

I'm back and in the midst of the marathon of art making before I have to be back at school. I have a little less than two weeks left and the days are disappearing before my eyes. I have watched so many artists switching over to oil paints and decided months ago to buy a starter set, but hadn't the time to test it out till recently. The oil paints are Winsor and Newton and water soluble so there is no stinkiness or headaches. I love them! They are so buttery and creamy to work with. Still a lot to learn before perfecting them. I've been having problems with them drying out too fast while I'm painting. Dry summer heat in the desert probably isn't the best atmosphere to be painting anyhow. I've got commissions that I have been slowly working through and more piling up.

Example of a miniature shadow box soon to be available at The Springs Preserve gift shop.

The most recent excitement was art curator of the Springs Preserve touring my studio Monday. I'm honored to say that she has asked me to sell my work in the gift shop and has me in reserve for the next show. I have miniature shadow boxes to complete for January to sell there. So much to do!

All this on top of completing work for galleries and school projects galore!!!

Thank you for your continued support!

The Backyard Wall Signing with Casey Weldon

At The Backyard Wall signing with Casey Weldon. 

Casey Weldon was asked to paint the largest painting he has ever made by a friend. During the signing party following Casey's signing of a smiley face, two people came out and painted over this masterpiece in white. It took 5 days to paint and was gone in a matter of minutes. 

I had the most amazing night celebrating art, making new friends and meeting such amazing artists as Matthew Couper, Mary Beth Heishman and Amy Sol. It was an honor being able to share this amazing night with my friend Su Limbert who is also an incredible artist! I have been floating through a wonderful dream the last few days and still in disbelief this is all a reality.

If you have a chance, please check out the work of these talented artists!

Vine: Video App from iTunes

I decided to jump on the Vine video band wagon and joined this social media site. (Like so many other artists I've been seeing do it.) So often people are asking the "how" stuff is made in regards to my artwork and this gives a small peek into the life of an artist and can help answer the "how". Vine is an app offered on iTunes that is free. It offers you the opportunity to follow, like, and comment on the short videos people post.

If you're interested in seeing an example or want to follow me, click the picture below!

More videos coming soon!

Featured Artist!

I am honored to say that Artistworks on Instagram featured me as an artist on his site! I am featured along side of some of my favorite artists I look up to and are inspired by. To be considered good enough to be in a feature next to them is such an amazing compliment! I'm so excited for the exposure as well! So many people follow Artistworks and will have the opportunity to stop and check out my art too! I am over the moon right now! Thank you!

500 Followers on Instagram!!

I want to thank all of you for the support, love, and encouragement! It means the world to me!  am frantically trying to get my work together for my show. So I am going back under my rock where I hide out making stuff. :)

Best wishes!

Constance

Art and Evolution

I have been making and creating work at a break neck pace for the last few months. It is all consuming trying to keep up with deadlines. My eye is on the prize right now. I am still working on pieces for my solo show for April. Which if you don't know is right around the corner. . . (panic is setting in).

I have to confess that I keep changing my mind, theme, ideas, materials and technique. I start a series of paintings and decide I'm over it. Then I start on a new tangent and am over the whole idea after to long drawings. sigh. How am I going to have a show when it is all so eclectic?!

The gallery owner fell in love with the two pencils drawings I submitted for the last group show and asked if I'd do a solo show. I have been all over the place with style and ideas with creating more of them. I've been frustrated with going from too literal to too cartoony and either way feeling I am losing the aesthetic value of what I am trying to portray in my art. As I'm sure most artists can relate.

I am and have been my worst enemy through this whole process. 

Constantly Constance

I spent most of this past weekend beating my head against a brick wall. Wasting too much time on drawings I didn't care for. Then lightning struck! Growing inside me was a feeling I could do better and that my pencil drawings were lacking. So I decided to take a shot at drawing a more realistic person with the colored pencils. I decided to draw myself (mostly) as a character in one of my concept drawings. When I was all done, I was shocked and amazed!!! I had NO idea I was that good. To be honest, I felt I was leagues away from being this good and why I chose to be lazy and draw the more cartoony style I had grown accustomed to. It is still a work in progress, but it gives me great confidence in knowing I have stepped it up a notch and that I really am that good.

I have so much to do before my show, but I finally feel like I have work that is gallery worthy. I am excited and look forward to the opportunity to show everyone what I am capable of! 

Speaking of evolution. . .

I thought you'd get a kick out of seeing the evolutionary practice of art making as it is flubbed, messed up, and redone, again, and again, and again. My drawings are not coming out anywhere near what I had originally envisioned, but I am liking the path they are taking and riding it out. So here is the transformation of my current project as I originally drew it to what it looks like as of now (though I'm still working on it).

Flyers and announcements are coming soon!!!! 

"Kismet" artwork by Constance Stotzer 

at Blackbird Studios April 5th - 26th.

Progress Paintings for Sunrise Coffee

I don't know about you, but I love progress shots! Painting and drawing for me is like putting a puzzle together. You have jumbled ideas and images to organize, determine what steps to take first in assembling the the masterpiece through shapes, shades, and colors. I love seeing the transformation from scribbled doodle to completed work. I say complete, but it is never "completed". There will always something you can do better...for next time.

I have been working on a painting for display at Sunrise Coffee and it has taken me all month to do. Some of this is because it is simply time consuming to paint something this large, but I also work a full time job and have had commissions that i have come up along the way. This painting has seemed endless especially when I have so many other paintings and drawing that I would like to get to work on.

I wanted to share the progression and transformation. You can see the layers of color, but also how I slowly tweaked her facial features.

Thanks for letting me share the fun and magic!

I will keep you posted about more information regarding my solo show in April!

Thank You Emily Winfield Martin

I have been a huge fan of Emily Winfield Martin for sometime. As I mentioned in the last post, I won two of her books on Wednesday. This started me thinking, "How does one go from being an artist to having a book published?". So I began to research and read up on all of Emily's sites. The website based on her new book Oddfellow's Orphanage is quite exquisit! It's here where I found the character page with an eccentric list of likes and dislikes for each character. Each one a small delicacy to get you thinking about who the character is. At that moment, lightening struck!

Inspiration had been lost on me for the past few months until that exact moment. I, Constance Stotzer, needed to write a likes and dislikes ledger! I grabbed my nearest composition book and went to work drawing and labeling columns to begin my list. Surprisingly, I have a page and a half of likes and not quite half a page of dislikes (I'm sure they will come to me when I am grumpier). My composition book also has pages now for a list of where I draw inspiration from, such as books and movies along with a list of odd words I collect, but that is another story.  In addition to my composition book, I am now working in two sketchbooks and on multiple paintings and illustrations simultaneously!

I love this feeling! When you can't scribble your thoughts and ideas down fast enough, scared they will fly out of your head and be lost forever. Well enough gushing, I have to get back to work!

Thank you Emily Winfield Martin for giving me the gift of inspiration!

Thank you,

Oddfellow's Orphanage by Emily Martin

Yesterday I saw a tweet from Emily Martin advertising that Crafter News was doing a give away of her new book Oddfellow's Orphanage. I immediately clicked the link to follow the directions for the contest. Well. . . .

I just got an email moments ago announcing I had won the contest! I never win, so this email came as a complete surprise! I'm not only getting Oddfellow's Orphanage, but I am also getting a copy of Emily's first book The Black Apple's Paper Doll Primer. Oh, I can't wait to find these lovelies in my mailbox! Happy Dance! I hope I don't drool much over them to be able to share them with my niece!

Thank you Random House, Crown Publishing and Crafter News for this wondrous gift!

Thank you,

Finding My Voice

Here I am trying to find 'me' in the midst of the daily grind. I find myself going back to the idea of Constance and her adventures with Copilot Pepper, Pepper being my cat. The photo on the page was my first attempt at telling the story of our journey through magical lands and of the imagination seen through the eyes of childhood innocence. I hope to demonstrate my love of plants and animals as well as fairy tales and folklore. If there are any great stories or tales that you think I should read up on to draw inspiration from, I am all ears! 

Thank you,

Song List for Inspiration

I have been loving the inspiration mix I made for painting and wanted to share.

"Sweet Jane" Cowboy Junkies

Everything by Portishead

Mumford and Sons

Feist

Simon and Garfunkel

"Bang, Bang" Nancy Sinatra

Cake

Ellie Goulding

"Sweet City Woman" Stampeders

"Down by the Water" PJ Harvey

"Son of a Preacher Man" Dusty Springfield

"They" Jem

"Cough Syrup" Young the Giant

"Riverside" Agnes Obel

"The Treehouse Song" Ane Brun

"Empty" Ray LaMontagne

"F*** was I" Jenny Owen Youngs

"Golden Brown" The Stranglers

"I Think I Love You" Partridge Family

"Jolene" Dolly Parton

"Blue Caravan" Vienna Teng

I think you get the idea! Relaxing and soothes you into the rhythm of the painting and the whispering thoughts at the back of your mind. I like hitting that trance like state where everything else falls away and it is just you uncovering the image just below the surface.

Thanks for letting me share!

Is there a song right now you can't get out of your head right now that is inspiring what you do?

New Muse: Deborah Ann Woll

Don't be surprised if all my 'ladies' in my work start looking like Deborah Ann Woll, currently known for her role on the tv series 'True Blood'. I love her features! I can not say enough good things about them. I am in love with the size and shape of her eyes, nose, and mouth. They are the kind of features that I LOVE drawing. Not to mention the fact that I am a sucker for a pretty red head.

Nature Walks for Inspiration

sketch while on nature walk

Album Raiding

When I was back east I asked to look through my grandmother's photo albums and found a ton of incredible photos. I took pictures of them to be able to have for myself as a record of my family's history. In doing so I found this one of my mom. I think it captures the fun and spontaneity that has always made my mom so incredible. Growing up she always encouraged us to pursue our dreams and adventurous nature in exploring the world. Researching my family's history and roots I learned a lot, but I wouldn't be the person I am today without the love and support of my mom. She is simply amazing and I will treasure this as one of my favorite photos of her.

My trip to Pennsylvania for Fourth of July

I just got back from visiting my grandparents in Pennsylvania. Although I had been back for 2 other visits since my childhood, neither trip had left indelible memories. Trying to piece together the fragments and childhood experiences and translating those to my current state was very interesting. I have never lived near my extended family, nor been able to build strong bonds with any of them. While there, I had the best time being re-introduced to my Aunts and Uncles and building new relationships that I hope will continue to grow. I learned a lot about my family's history and as well as the area my mom grew up in. (There is no doubt in my mind where I get my sarcasm and humor from.)

Living in the desert I am surrounded by stucco and beige blah! I missed the brick and green from back east and spent a great deal of time looking up through sun dappled leaves. So many of the pictures I took were of vegetation or various brick buildings. At the first sight of lightning bugs caused me to catch my breath as their glowing bodies seemed like magic dust floating up escaping the grassy fields. My family laughed at all the common place things and events that I was in awe of while I was there, which is to be expected.

Overall, I had a wonderful time and I can't wait to go back!

Art Posters

I found a great site for art posters called Poster Cabaret. I like that the art is original and the choices are quite eclectic not to mention you can find something for any occasion or room in your house. I have added Poster Cabaret as a permanent link on my Resources page.

Kiddie Cars by Adam Hayes

Change into a Truck by Tim Doyle

Birdcycle by Methane Studios

Super Hungry by Scott C

Tools of the Trade

My life would not be complete without these items. They are my favorite tools to use in creating. I added the Dymo labeler because it is my newest toy and going to help me get organized this summer. I find there is nothing better than the simplest tools and fine tipped anything (be it pen, pencil, or brush) to aid in the tiny details. Items that are not shown above, but are vital would be calligraphy inks and gesso.

Do you have anything that you use daily that you can not live without?

DIY Project for Recycling Glass Bottles

I stumbled across this cute project over at The Colorful Living Project by Anna Naphtali. Not sure how ecological the spray paint is, but I do think it is a clever way to use glass jars. For complete details please check the post. I love the idea for party idea or just to spruce up your house with a splash of color.